Harbingers of Darkness: Covenant
by Artu Alderaan
Summary: Story occurs 47 years ABY and fills the gaps between the EU book Crucible and the EU comic Legacy series. This is a work in progress, but will feature a conflict within the Empire and the associated consequences for the galaxy as a whole. This is a collaborative project. Please let us know if you are interested in contributing.
1. Prologue

Story written by:

Kevin Chamberland, Martin "Zewel von Lelek" Kusyn, and Artu Alderaan

In collaboration with:

Gundar Thresh and Paul Beecham

 **Prologue**

 **Zonama Sekot**

 **Forty seven years after the Battle of Yavin**

Luke looked up at the sky, which appeared to be divided and ambivalent. To the west a sun was shining and there were hardly any clouds in sight. To the east, he could see the darkness of an overcast, low, lightning-filled atmosphere. It was that moment when you did not know whether the storm was in retreat, or if it was about to take over the firmament above.

The master turned around to make sure that the shuttle door was closed. He spent the short trip into the system in meditation. He was mindful of his inner, ongoing relationship with his former masters. At his age, he identified with them more and more. His white hair and beard and his cane were partially responsible for this. Yet, deep inside, he continued to feel like that nineteen year old at the beginning of his adventurous journey.

A lot has happened since that time. It felt like more than one lifetime. Despite his sharp mind the events seemed to become confused in his memory. His relationship to his long-gone wife Mara and his son Ben were the easiest to focus on. All the other historical events – conflicts, victories, and defeats found their place in relation to the thoughts and memories of those two beings. He missed them both. Nevertheless, Masters Obi-Wan and Yoda continued to guide him. He felt that he was one with them more so than ever before.

It took Luke some time to recover from his last fight. The unique environment of this peculiar planet, Zonama Sekot, definitely helped him to get back his strength. He came back to visit and thank those who attended to him during that time. He started walking towards the village of La'okio.


	2. Chapter 1

I

 _"_ _How do I define Imperial internal politics?_

 _If you ever watched a pack of saburian kyamoras after they caught their prey, you would notice a certain pattern. The pack usually consists of a leader and the rest of the pack, yet unlike other animals with a similar social structure such as nekks or simple wolves, subordinate kyamoras lack servility and respect towards their leader as well as towards members of their own pack. This obviously leads to infighting. The leader's job is to keep these fights to a minimum, to ration the kill and to keep the pack together. This is why every successful pack has a leader. However, sometimes a group of it's subjects tries to team up and tear it apart. They rarely succeed, but if they do, they condemn themselves and every other member of the pack to extinction, as leaderless kyamoras rarely survive alone. The same is true for some of our moffs, but I think that not many of them recognise that they are not the leaders."_

 _A View from the Commander's Chair_ , memoirs of Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon (dating 40 years after the Battle of Yavin)

 **Imperial II-class Star Destroyer** ** _Empire Maker_**

Moff Drikl Lecersen strode down the _Empire Maker_ 's pristine corridors. Stormtroopers, pilots, and officers stopped and sharply saluted as he passed by, but he paid them no mind. He had spent too much time and energy to prepare for this. He could not be distracted by niceties right now. Finally, Lecersen arrived in his spacious private quarters and proceeded to the personal holoprojection booth in the rear of the chamber. Donning his most ingratiating smile, he entered the booth and began recording.

"Greetings, my friends. I have an important proposal for your consideration. I realize that some of us have had our disagreements in the past, but I'm sure we can put that behind us for the time being in order to achieve our common goals. We have mutual enemies in both the Galactic Alliance and Vitor Reige's faux-Empire. With your support, I am certain that our combined forces will be more than adequate to overthrow Riege and restore the Empire. Once we have successfully united the Empire, we will have the necessary strength to topple the Galactic Alliance and bring the galaxy under Imperial rule once more. I invite those of you who wish to join me in this endeavour to meet with me on Ansion in four days to discuss the terms of our Alliance. Lecersen out." He switched off the holoprojector and sent the message.

He then pressed another button on the console and a channel was opened to the Star Destroyer's captain. "Captain Blaird, have all ships prepare for the jump to hyperspace. We'll meet them at the rendezvous point at the edge of the Ansion system."

"Right away, sir", came the gruff reply that sounded more suited to a swoop biker than the captain of an Imperial Star Destroyer.

Moments later, the _Empire Maker_ suddenly jerked forward and then was off into the swirling blue maelstrom of hyperspace.

 **Imperial II-class Star Destroyer** ** _Chimaera_**

A ping sounded on the comm display in the center of the admiral's suite. Natasi Daala crossed the room from the refresher and played the message. She enjoyed even those few seconds under a stream of warm water. But as usual her duties called. And she rarely put pleasure ahead of duty.

The gray-haired visage of Drikl Lecersen appeared suddenly before her. She felt her muscles tense.

Lecersen. He was one of the last people she would have expected to contact her. That piece of filth had tried to have her killed a year previously. He initiated a Jedi coup that had ended her tenure as the Galactic Alliance's Chief of State. She had managed to blackmail him into supporting her in her failed attempt to seize control of the Empire, but if he succeeded in convincing others to ally themselves with him, she would no longer have any power over him. On the other hand, if he was able to bolster his forces through an alliance and she did not side with him, she would be no match for the combined strength of his alliance. As much as she hated to admit it, her only option was to throw in her lot with Lecersen.

After the message was finished, one thought continued to nag at her. She was only one of many high-ranking Imperials who opposed Riege. Lecersen could assuredly gather enough support to take on Riege without her help. With so many other potential allies he could turn to for support in his coup, why had he sought assistance from her? What was his endgame?

She commed the _Chimaera_ 's bridge. "Inform all ships to set course for Ansion immediately. We'll be meeting with our old friend Lecersen, so be prepared for an ambush. I don't want to repeat the Exodo II incident", she announced. Daala's forces had been victim of a surprise attack over Exodo II the year before, when former Imperial Head of State Jagged Fel had learned of her plans to usurp control of the Empire. He launched a preemptive strike against her that resulted in heavy losses for her fleet. She kept her anger well hidden, but that defeat shook her to the core. Some things were impossible to forget.

 **Almania**

Gant shut off the comm message he received from the man who called himself Lecersen. He was sitting in his office sniffing his spiced drink. Kueller's portrait was hanging on the wall behind him.

Despite some liberal and commercial influences on his world, his people continued to be attracted by the elegance of the more structured style of government. Would not aiding in the creation of a unified and powerful empire be the best legacy for his legendary former master?


	3. Chapter 2

II

 _There is only one thing more dangerous than repercussion after a failed coup. Your fellow conspirators._

Nioclo dei Ber-Noard, third _vaan_ (head of family) of Renarinian house Maichi'Aveli, on the art of intrigue and politics.

 **Ansion**

They were sitting around a large, round, black table. The hall was medium sized, with a high ceiling. Not the richest, most stylish decor, but good enough for the occasion.

Quite a gathering, Gant thought. Lecersen, Daala, Ulric Tagge, a few other high-ranking imperials. The air was thick with intrigue. He just hoped that Lecersen had done his homework well. Hopefully he would start the proceedings soon. If this event did not progress in a promising fashion, maybe he could still grab a supper on-planet before his trip back to Almania.

"Please take your seats, ladies and gentlemen," Lecersen said eloquently. He took a moment until everyone settled down into their comfortable chairs.

"Greetings, my friends," he began. "As the Empire, we have a long and rich heritage and history. It is a history of defeat, but also one of triumph. It is by attending to the principles and ideals that we value and cherish that we have survived, developed, and prospered."

As Gant listened to Lecersen speak, he wondered whether this man believed in what he was speaking, or was attempting to manipulate their minds to make them cooperate.

Gant looked at Lano Narava, the Alderaani amateur of Imperial politics. Gant always thought Narava's black, lightly armoured uniform and helmet looked ridiculous. What was going on in that man's mind?

Narava did not trust Lecersen. He trusted Gant even less.

He knew that there was a place for him among the Empire's elite. And more than that, he belonged right up there with the core of the leadership. He did not have ambitions to be the ruler. He was not that despotic. He could leave that role to Lecersen. He saw himself as the one leading from the shadows... officially second, or at the very least third in order. But the one actually pulling the strings. He definitely had the ability and the intellect for that, unlike most of the others.

Once silence ensued, Daala was the first to pick up the conversation. "So why did you bring us here, Lecersen? You must know we have more important things to do than to sit around and chat about how great the Empire is."

Lecersen did not answer right away. He managed to hold his guests' gaze for a few long moments.

"We have a common goal, my friends. Our objectives are aligned. Alone, we pose no threat to the forces of Reige and the current government. But together, our power cannot be ignored."

Gant shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "And why would we want to join you in your stand against Reige?" he asked.

"Because we all agree that the way that Reige and Fel are running the Empire is absurd. They are losing control of economic and social sectors every day. The Empire is virtually becoming a puppet state to the Alliance."

Abgush, the Gamorrean general with ties to the gambling industry, suddenly got up and left.

"It looks like our friend Abgush does not agree with you," Daala said.

"I also believe that our alliance needs to reach beyond our conquest and continue into the ruling process once the takeover is complete," Lecersen continued.

This time the honorable Gar Ectar from the Calamari System got up and left the room.

"Further, I am planning to make this an enterprise that will be economically beneficial to each of us... equally."

"Equally?" a voice responded derisively from the end of the table. "I don't believe you understand that concept, Drikl. You certainly haven't treated us equally in the past, trying to drive us out of our territory to increase your own. And I recall you trying to do away with Admiral Daala during her tenure as Chief of State of the GA. You can't seriously be expecting us to place our trust in you."

"Moff Rosset, I'm surprised to hear these criticisms from you, given your well-known support of the coup against Grand Admiral Pellaeon that resulted in his death," Lecersen replied calmly. "However, let me assure you that I realize the time for infighting has passed. If it continues any longer, many of our best leaders could lose their lives while we needlessly attack one another, rather than focusing on our true enemy, the Galactic Alliance and the false Empire they have put in place with Fel and Reige, as an insulting attempt to appease us."

"If you truly believe we will buy into that nonsense, you are insane," Moff Rosset bellowed. "Even if you were genuine, the last thing the Empire needs is a committee of leaders like this who would only argue over every decision and fail to get anything done. What the Empire needs is a single person capable of bringing the Empire together to eliminate the puppets installed by the GA and reclaiming our rightful places as rulers of the galaxy."

"While I agree on that last part, you must acknowledge that on our own we do not possess the strength necessary to achieve those results. We have to ally ourselves with pro-Imperial forces from outside the Empire like the Tagge Company, the Protectorate, and Madam Tavira's forces to form a coalition if we are to accomplish our goal of restoring the glory of the Galactic Empire," Lecersen responded.

The Moff became more agitated with each moment.

"Drikl, don't be ridiculous," he countered swiftly. "Each of those groups are traitors to the Empire who abandoned us long ago. The Tagge Company has been doing business with the Galactic Alliance since it was established, and with the New Republic before that. Tavira should be court martialed for desertion, jettisoning her station to play pirate. As for her fleet of mercenaries, the Empire doesn't need that scum. And the Protectorate leader, Jaalib Brandl, is married to a Jedi Knight. Does anyone believe that he can be relied upon to remain loyal once the Jedi become involved?"

"You don't appear to be making very many friends today, Rosset," Lecersen commented as the representatives from the Protectorate, the Tagge Company, and Tavira's Invids shouted their outrage.

"You speak of restoring the glory of the Empire, but all you are doing is diluting the greatness of the Empire by conspiring with this rabble. I refuse to just stand by and allow that to happen."

It was unlikely that anyone believed in what Lecersen was saying. At least Narava did not think anybody did. Nevertheless, no one else left the chamber that evening.

After the talks, a formal dinner was held, and after dinner, a banquet began. All in grand imperial style and worthy of imperial high culture. It was apparent that Lecersen was being generous, trying to sway some of those undecided onto his side.

Moff Malvek seemed furious, "Gamorreans and Mon Calamari? He wants 'animals' to partake in the making of the Empire? Emperor's old bones… He is bringing a filth like that here, and ignoring the Confederates? Ignoring the Empire's most distinguished heroes?"

"Do you think he hasn't tried getting the Confederacy in?" Tagge replied. "Phennir despises Lecersen, flirts with the GA and has ties to Reige. He admires what Fel did to the Empire, just like Reige does. He told Drikl that the only way he will ever want to see Lecersen is 'through a TIE's targeting system'. And for the rest of the Confederates, who do you want? Hutts are just too shady, too filthy, and they would have to get something big to play with, and Drikl doesn't have anything more than pretty words so far. Bothans, besides being an inferior species, are even less willing to have anything in common with the Empire, Corellians and the rest are too loyal to their independence, to Phennir, or to both. And Sal-Solo's party lost both influence and sanity. For the aliens, he despises them nearly as much as you and me. They are just a means to an end, expendable allies."

Accompanied by his aides and security escort, Rosset made his way down the ornately decorated corridors to the building's exit. On each side of the wall were artistic renderings of great moments in the Empire's history: The Jedi Purge, Palpatine's Declaration of the New Order, and Imperial victories on Ralltiir, Polis Massa, Hoth, and dozens of other worlds. Following those were the portraits of the leaders of the Empire: Palpatine, Sate Pestage, Ysanne Isard, Trioculus, Thrawn, Carnor Jax, Burr Nolyds, Xandel Carivus, and Gilad Pellaeon. There were no portraits of Jagged Fel or Vitor Reige.

Rosset was furious with Lecersen. The longer he tolerated this charade, the angrier he became. He did not trust this joker even one imperial ounce of scrap. His rage had started building inside him years ago, during the final months of the Second Galactic Civil War. The recent communication from Lecersen had just caused these highly compressed feelings to ignite. Now, Rosset finally had an opportunity to release some of that tension. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"What's our next move, sir?" asked a tall, skinny, dark-haired aide to Rosset's right as they made their way past the last of the paintings and arrived at the crimson greel wood doors.

Rosset did not respond until the entire procession was outside the building. "We need to ensure that Lecersen and the other traitors never get the opportunity to sign this agreement and taint the celebrated name of the Galactic Empire."

Rosset withdrew his comlink from his pocket. "Is the package ready for initiation?" he inquired.

"Good to go, sir," came the reply from the other end.

"I don't understand, sir," the aide said as he looked at Rosset with a furrowed brow. "All of your aides and personal security are right here. Who is that?"

Rosset grinned. "All will be made clear in due time, my boy."

The next day, the summit resumed as Lecersen hoped to make a final appeal that would satisfy all in attendance. He had been willing to simply allow Rosset to leave and form his coalition with the others, but Jaalib Brandl had persuaded Lecersen to make one final attempt at convincing Rosset to join them. The chamber felt a little warmer than the previous day.

Lecersen cautiously began the morning's opening speech. "With our integrated forces, neither Reige nor the GA will be able to subdue us. I urge you to visualize what we could achieve by working in concert. Each of us provides key resources that can be utilized, or controls worlds that would be ideal launching points in our campaign. The Tagge Company can supply military craft and Trulalis' proximity to the Core will prove invaluable in the later stages of our campaign. Likewise, the Protectorate's strategic position along the Corellian run and access to several other major trade routes will allow us to easily mobilize our forces in the Outer Rim and quickly move our fleets to various targets in that region of space. Tavira's forces provide us the advantage of being comprised of pirates from a multitude of worlds, thereby allowing us to have fleets in numerous locations that can be rapidly deployed when needed."

Lecersen looked at each person gathered at the conference table in turn to gauge their reaction. It was Moff Calron who spoke first.

"It would appear as though we have no other options but to agree to this partnership. Far too many high-ranking officers have thrown in their lot with Fel and Reige, either because they truly believe Fel's changes are necessary or out of fear that they would be killed if they did not support him. We must not allow their influence to pervade our worlds as well. They must be overthrown."

"Hypocrites!" shouted Rosset. The color of his face looked like that of a sun turning into a supernova. "You accuse Fel and Reige of being traitors to the Empire, while you commit the same crime. Yes, both Fel and Reige must be executed and a new emperor put in place, but I will die before allowing their regime to be replaced by one that is equally contrary to Palpatine's vision of his New Order."

"Moff Rosset, you have made your foolish opposition to these negotiations very apparent by this point. Now, is there anyone else who shares his viewpoint, or can we conclude this agreement and begin restoring the Empire?" Lecersen looked at those seated at the table once more and was met with silence.

"It is settled then. I thank you all for your willingness to put aside past grievances for the good of the Empire."

Rosset discreetly reached into a pocket and pressed the button on the signalling device hidden there.

Blasterfire erupted in the hallway as Rosset's stormtroopers quickly eliminated the other security forces stationed outside the meeting room and burst inside. The first laser beam hit the paneling to Rosset's left. The second one hit lower and to the right. He would need to tell his men to aim away from him next time, Rosset thought. An eye blink later the explosion shook the building. General chaos ensued... as planned…

Gant got hit just under the ribcage. He could feel the moisture of the blood seeping through his clothes. Probably Rosset's men, he thought. That man was never able to control his feelings. Gant was just angry at himself for having come to Ansion in the first place. Now, he would not be able to make Almania great... he would not be able to make Kueller's dream come true... Sithrot! He would not be able to have his on-planet supper before leaving after all… He thought his last and the blurriness took over his vision.

Lano Narava took out his small blaster. Wearing his upper body armor paid off, finally. His shooting practice might come in useful as well. He was away from the initial blast when it occurred, but the aftershock affected his hearing nevertheless. The smell of the laser fire, the burned flesh was becoming difficult to tolerate. Should he fight or should he make a careful retreat? Someone had to attend to the civilians. Narava saw Gant get hit. Unlikely that he is to blame then... surprisingly, he thought. Who then? No time for thinking, though. Time for shooting.

Lecersen left through the doorway in the corner of the hall. He decided to let his guards take care of the situation while he pursued Rosset. He was angry with himself. He should have suspected that Rosset was a fool. But Lecersen was so sure of his ideas and his plan, he was convinced that Rosset would join him once he heard the briefing. He should have been more careful. Rosset would have to pay the bill for this party. Lecersen would just have to get his men to clean up first.

Suddenly, Narava noticed Daala on the floor, lying motionless. Being careful to stay covered, he inched closer to her. Her chest was moving, so she appeared to be breathing. Her vest had a burn hole close to her right shoulder blade. Being mindful of the shots flying around him with the battle taking place relatively close, but not in the immediate vicinity anymore, he picked Daala up and started to move in the direction opposite to the laserfire. He noticed Rosset in the corner of his eye. Was he to blame for this? The motive was there…

Rosset moved towards the doors at the far end of the room, crawling to avoid the blasterfire. When he reached the doors, he hurriedly got up, pulled the doors open, and ran into the hallway beyond. He fired off a quick volley into the room as he made his escape. One shot caught one of Tavira's Invid guards in the upper chest and another caught one of Lecersen's stormtroopers through the neck, but the others harmlessly impacted against the wall.

Lecersen was waiting for Rosset right next to the compound's exit. He was hidden in one of his well-protected guard posts when he noticed Rosset making his retreat. He knew he would only get one shot at the fool, as the man was well guarded. He held his breath... and pulled the trigger. Lecersen's laser burst hit Rosset in the right cheekbone. He corrected himself and the second burst landed just above the left ocular orbit. A swift, surgical end to the first mutiny of Lecersen's new establishment.

Upon returning to the conference room, Lecersen found that Rosset's troops had been disposed of.

 **Space, the Alderaan System**

One standard day later, Narava was aboard his frigate, approaching his home ship _New Aldera_ , named for the capital city of the world of his birth, Alderaan. He smoothed out his uniform suit. A few moments later, he begun to see the familiar outlines of the large, spherical vessel.


	4. Chapter 3

III

 **Hapes, The Reef Fortress grounds**

Tenel Ka approached her magnificent animal with grace. Her Majesty deserved the best and was provided the best. With its rare reddish hued hair, "Rogon" the rancor was beautiful. It was also well trained and, best of all, it was her own. She stroked its mane as it lowered its head in subservience to her will, losing herself – just for a moment – in the colours that flared through it. It was a recent gift from Dathomir, in accordance to her new treaty with the Witches that inhabited the planet.

Tenel was not sure whether the rancor purred, but she liked to think so. As it stood again, she could see the power in the monster's legs and wondered how the rancor was trained.

While Tenel was attentive to the rancor, her doorman appeared.

"We have a visitor, Your Highness," he said. "Master Luke Skywalker has arrived and would like to see you."

Master Luke Skywalker? She had not seen him for months. Her daughter's uncle had never been to her private island sanctuary before. What has finally brought him here?

"Please let him enter and make him comfortable in the Family Room."

The Royal Family Room looked more like a grand ballroom. When they were seated in the privacy of her living space, it was Master Luke who initiated the conversation.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for agreeing to see me at such short notice."

"Don't be silly, Master Luke. What brings you here?"

"I am just returning from Zonama Sekot. The Planet is very worried and disturbed by what's happening in the Galaxy at the moment."

Strangely, Tenel felt a ghost ache in the arm that was no longer there. She cupped the stump, leaned back in her chair and sighed. She looked at Master Luke, whom she had known as Uncle Luke in the not-so-distant past, for a few long moments. Whenever they met he usually beamed reassurance and hope. But today he seemed unsure and afraid. He looked much older.


	5. Chapter 4

IV

 **Chiss Expansionary Defense Force Headquarters, Naporar**

Captain Wynssa Fel pulled her clawcraft into position, aligning it with the other fighters in the squadron.

The harsh voice of the squadron leader came through over the comm unit. "Form up behind me and remain close. Be alert for enemy fighters and cover one another."

The squadron obeyed instantaneously and their formation became more compact as they passed through a wide gorge. Wynssa's flight, comprised of three clawcraft, brought up the rear of the unit. She had the middle spot in her wing's configuration, with one wingmate on either side.

A swarm of red dots coming in from the west appeared on Wynssa's HUD, indicating unfriendly craft.

"Inbound fighters at your nine!" the squadron leader shouted. "Prepare to engage!"

As they adjusted the flight vector to meet their attackers head-on, a second group materialized on her scanner coming from the opposite direction. "Flights three and four break off and deal with the second squadron," she ordered.

"Affirmative," Wynssa responded and led her flight in the opposite direction. Flight three's leader did likewise.

As they came into visual range of the clawcraft, Wynssa saw that the enemies were a squadron of TIE interceptors.

 _Imperials_ , Wynssa realized. She felt her heart beat faster and the back of her neck moisten. It made her uneasy knowing that she was about to battle the Empire. Her father, Baron Soontir Fel, had been a legendary TIE fighter pilot during the Galactic Civil War and her brother Jagged Fel was the Empire's former Head of State. She felt torn inside, but her sense of military duty soon took control. She was a pilot of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, therefore it was her responsibility to keep the citizens of the Ascendancy protected from anyone who presented a threat to their security.

The lead interceptor opened fire. The laser bursts streaked toward the clawcraft to Wynssa's left, piloted by Nilp'ith'koruama, or Pithk as he preferred to be called. As most Chiss did, he used his core name to make it easier for non-Chiss like Wynssa. Her other wing mate Nepk'oro'hamua, or Koroh, responded with a hail of laser blasts as Pithk executed a quick snap-roll to avoid the enemy fire. The extremely agile TIE interceptors had no difficulty evading her salvo.

Suddenly Wynssa noticed another TIE fighter on her tail. She oriented her clawcraft at forty-five degrees starboard to the vertical and executed a loop maneuver. Seconds later she found herself approaching the enemy diagonally from the rear. She fired off a few short bursts of laser fire, with minimal success. As she passed the TIE interceptor she acknowledged her craft receiving a few hits as well. This is not going to be simple, she thought.

With the interceptors defeated, Wynssa and her flight rejoined the rest of the squadron and returned to base.

Wynssa pulled off her helmet and exited the simulator along with the other pilots. She gasped when she saw a tall, dark-haired man who was observing her. It was her father, Baron Soontir Fel. She felt extremely uneasy, hoping he wouldn't be too critical of her performance. As the daughter of one of the greatest fighter pilots in the galaxy's history, Wynssa had a lot to live up to. One thing she didn't understand was what her father was doing in the simulator room when he surely had much more pressing matters to be attending to.

The Baron responded as if he had heard her thoughts. "Pack your things, Captain. You are officially on leave now and we are departing for Bastion to attend Jag's party. Be ready in two hours." With that, he saluted, turned and strode from the room without awaiting a reply.

Jag's birthday! Wynssa had completely lost track of time during her squadron's recent training exercises and had not realized the party was so soon. Her brother would be celebrating his fortieth birthday in a few days, and the Empire's Head of State, Vitor Reige was secretly planning what was sure to be a very impressive gala to mark the occasion. Wynssa had not seen Jag in nearly a year. Between Wynssa's duty in the CEDF and her brother's responsibilities on Bastion, it was often difficult for the entire family to get together.


	6. Chapter 5

V

 **Leno Narava's space fortress** ** _New Aldera_**

Narava's mind was occupied by thoughts extending beyond the most recent meeting on Lecersen's grounds. Ever since his time on Bastion as one of Pellaeon's leading officers, he had been committed to the establishment of a strong and unified Alderaan state. This became even more true following his leave from Bastion after Pellaeon's death and his on-and-off settlement on New Alderaan. He was not sure how Lecersen's plan would affect this vulnerable community under his patronage.

Following its establishment just before the Battle of Yavin, New Alderaan suffered hostilities at the hands of Lord Zsinj and the resurrected Emperor between the years seven and ten ABY. Since the New Republic reclaimed the planet following Palpatine's final death in eleven ABY, the planet experienced years of relative calm. Even during the Vong invasion the occupation and destruction of New Alderaan was relatively mild and brief.

Navara's thoughts turned to Princess Leia and her views on the New Alderaan colony. The Princess continued to be intermittently interested in the planet's fate. She always hoped that New Alderaan would progress in line with the New Republic and the Galactic Alliance. Navara was concerned about this approach. His view was that the Galactic Alliance, like the New Republic earlier, was too liberal, too inclusive, and too pluralistic to allow for the protection of the Alderaanian culture – a culture that was already very vulnerable in light of the tragedy it had experienced and the resulting migration to a new foreign world. This difference of opinion put the Princess and Navara in confrontation with each other. Navara suspected that this conflict would likely worsen once Lecersen's new ambitious plans became a reality.

 **Coruscant airspace**

Leia's shuttle flight was delayed that day. She did not allow her frustration to turn to anger. Nevertheless, she was not totally comfortable either. She was thinking about Narava's New Alderaan. Narava continued to push for the colony's autonomy. Leia did appreciate his patriotism, but his rhetoric often seeped into very strong radical overtones. His council made many comments about their fear of including other sentient species on their new colony. She had many talks with Han about this, and she appreciated that he agreed with her. It was Han who reflected that some ethical ideas, such as the principle of equal rights for all sentients, had to guide society. Otherwise, the risk of sliding towards another empire becomes too great. He insisted that patriotism and harmony with others can coexist. Apparently, their many years together in service of the Rebellion, the New Republic, and later the Galactic Alliance taught Han a few things. If only Narava knew as much her husband did...


	7. Chapter 6

VI

Walking through the workshops adjacent to Bastion's Imperial government offices, Jaina and Jagged Fel came upon an imperial security droid, an LX model, getting an oil bath...

"What are you two looking at? You have never seen a robot taking an oil bath before?" The unit verbalized.

Jag reflexively looked away at Jaina and frowned.

Jaina thought to herself how nice a hot bath might feel like. She stared feeling all warm inside. Too bad the droid was taking up the entire tub. She loosened up her collar and decided to have a nice bath at the first opportunity. She yearned to wash the sweat off her body. Bastion was recently going through a blistering heat wave.

Later that evening, Jag joined Jaina at the bath.

"Would you like some help with that dear?" He asked smiling.

"Why don't you leave a girl to her bath in private", she answered looking at him coyly.

Jag got up and put his shirt on. His favorite navy one. He did not have to dress into his formal attire just yet. Jaina liked to watch him dress, with his fit build accentuated. She enjoyed the time they had for each other and she knew that he did too. Alas, it was to end, as all things did. These moments that made life worth living were what they waited for in the gaps between the order and chaos of running an Empire and organizing galactic events.

Once she was dressed, together they headed out to the practice field for a sparring match. Jag liked to keep fit and ready in case anything happened, even if he left with more bruises than Jaina every time.

They started, but Jaina was distracted. Jag got hits in where he normally would not. She kept staring off into the distance.

The Force was telling Jaina something important, but she just did not know what. After a few minutes of distracted sparring, Jag called a break. Not even sweating, with a concerned look on his face, he asked:

"What's wrong?"

"Well, that was certainly... different," Jaina said as she began dressing herself gingerly, taking care not to touch any of her new bruises.

Once she was dressed, she looked at the time and rushed off, aware that she was already late in her infuriatingly tight schedule for the day.


	8. Chapter 7

VII

 _There is something universal in clubbing and in contemporary popular music and dance styles. Call it primitive or tribal, or downright obscene and disgusting, as every kriffing critic describes acoustic tastes, dancing patterns and mating habits of the current generation of coruscanti youth, but it is there. Tones that help you relax, rhythms that spread a happy vibe, and an attractive partner of your choice on the dance floor. Interesting meetings happen, even if only in passing. You just have to feel it…_

Raa'c'tra' An Va'rt, a.k.a. "RAV SC", soundsynther and self-proclaimed top coruscanti DJ

 **Coruscant**

It was late at night in this part of Coruscant, even if it was still relatively bright outside. The air felt exceptionally warm. Tahiri and Ben walked out of a dance bar. It was not the best establishment on the planet. One that a simple Jedi's pay could afford. Tahiri had to let loose once in a while, considering what had happened to her even in a not-so-distant past, despite Jaina telling her that this behaviour does not suit a Jedi. But she felt a little guilty for taking Ben out with her. She wasn't sure what his father would say. At least that new music style they played sounded good tonight.

Officially, Luke sent the pair to Coruscant to encourage some supplier to respect their order for some rare X-Wing parts. The Order's fleet of maintenance-heavy T-65JS "StealthX" fighters was plagued by a lack of spare parts since the Jedi Order stopped, at least officially, working with the Galactic Alliance and its government. They also needed some time off. But Ben did not care why they were sent here. He had been itching for a reason to come to Coruscant for months.

They were walking down a dark back lane, the Force knows how many levels towards the ground of this overpopulated planet. Some other people who had been at the bar were walking alongside them. Among them was Kayla, a girl Ben met that night.

 _Wait, what?_

Ben remembered only one person who would say something like that. And there was this weird feeling... _I hope she doesn't notice... oh, did she frown a bit just now?_ But that could have been his mind playing tricks on him as Kayla giggled, unaware of what started to bother him.

"It was nice to meet you. I'd love to have you around to party with you again. I have to go..."

"Hey, wait! Would you at least..."

"Sorry, bye," she smiled, waved, and left.

Tahiri could sense that something was bothering Ben. She remembered the burst of emotions earlier, dulled by the general atmosphere in the club.

"I am still angry at her", remarked Ben. This kid can not enjoy a good night out, thought Tahiri. But she felt more empathy for him than she was ready to admit. It looked like he still missed his Sith girlfriend, however strongly he would have tried to deny that. Following the battle with Abeloth and the Lost Tribe of the Sith, having been rejected by her people, the girl disappeared into thin air. She was apparently last seen a few months later in the company of Jaina's Mandalorian acquaintance Mirta Gev, but after that, she was nowhere to be found.

Ben was wondering what Vestara was up to. Would they ever cross each other's paths again? He felt such strong, yet ambivalent emotions about her... Anger, sadness, love… Was it his duty as a Jedi to stop this… renegade Sith? Where could they find the first clues in regards to her whereabouts? And... did he even want to find them?

"What about Mirta Gev? Maybe we should find her and talk to her first?" said Tahiri. Of course... Jaina mentioned Mirta in the past. She also mentioned the fact that Tahiri interrogated Mirta with Jaina's brother Jacen during the Second Civil War. Ben did not blame Tahiri for choosing not to bring that up. But how could the two women meet with such history between them? "Let's give Jaina a comm and find out where Gev is residing at the moment," he responded finally.

Jaina received her comm signal and saw that it was Ben. "Mirta Gev?" she asked. She had not heard from Mirta for months, if not years. They bonded during the Second Civil War, while she was training on Mandalore. Mirta and Vestara escaped Base Prime in Ship just prior to the Jedi assault, with Mirta likely still set on finding a cure for the nanovirus that infected her home world. Jaina did not have anything to add that Ben and Tahiri did not already know.

"Sorry, can't help you guys," she finally answered. "You two are probably ahead of me on that topic." They chatted some more about their experiences on Coruscant and about how things were at the Jedi Academy on Shedu Maad.

"Say hi to Dad from me", Ben requested. After Jaina's 'I sure will!' he hung up and continued down the alley.

Suddenly, whispering nearby caught Tahiri's attention. "This Jagged Fel is sure confident in himself," the whisper went on. "I hope that data you have will help with the coup." She noticed Ben wink at her. He was following the conversation as well. She risked a look at those involved in the conversation. The DJ was one of them. They were standing about eight standard meters from them, in a hidden corner between buildings. Apparently not hidden enough.

"I have done my gig and am on the way to the port," the DJ continued. Could he be that inexperienced? The young man was speaking in basic, but in a strong Bastioni accent. "I love you like a brother, but don't tell anyone about our conversation."

Tahiri pulled Ben on the sleeve. They moved away about thirty meters. They found an open gate and made use of it. Here they could speak undisturbed.

"What in the Flaming Sith was that?" Ben was visibly disturbed. "What are the chances that we would come upon a coup in the middle of a dance event?"

"The Force works in mysterious ways," Tahiri answered. "Getting the authorities involved will take forever. You know that."

"You're right," whispered Ben. "We need to act now." They had to get the information. This seemed too important. And fate, or the Force, gave them too nice of an opportunity.

By the time they left five minutes later, they had a plan. They had no problem finding the DJ. He was alone by now. Ben approached him from the north. Once the young man saw him, his anxiety became apparent. Not outright fear, but tension. He was of a medium build, tall, some markings on his pale skin.

"Hey friend," Ben said. "I have to search you." The guy did not wait long. Despite his bag full of heavy equipment, he started running in the opposite direction. He did not make it far. Tahiri caught him in mid stride.

"You search him," she said softly to Ben. At least she did not have to argue with him. Despite the man's lack of cooperation, Ben was able to accomplish the task.

"Nothing on him, other than his music equipment and his music discs." That's not good, Tahiri thought. "Ok, we have to take all of that. What's your name?" she directed her question at the DJ. No response, of course. They could not interrogate the man or take him prisoner. "Let's get out of here," she decided finally. They had no problem losing the guy.


End file.
